PLEASE NOTE: In January 2019 the maximum amount claimed for a business voucher was reduced from £3,000 to £2,500 to make sure that the scheme reaches even more people with full fibre connectivity.
Full fibre broadband connections offer the fastest and most reliable speeds available, and the government is committed to a vision of a full fibre Britain. As part of this commitment in March 2018, a £67 million Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme was announced.
Gigabit vouchers can be used by small and medium-sized businesses and the local communities surrounding them to contribute to the installation cost of a gigabit-capable connection.
Businesses can claim up to £3,000 against the cost of connection either individually or as part of a group project. Residents can benefit from the scheme as part of a group project which also includes businesses, and can claim for a voucher of up to a value of £500.
One gigabit is the same as 1,000 megabits – so it’s a big leap forward in connection speeds that could benefit you and your business into the future.
Can my business apply for the voucher?
The Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme is for small and medium-sized businesses across the UK. More information about the formal definition of an SME can be found here.
Vouchers help support the capital costs of delivering a new gigabit capable connection to your business premises.
If you already have a gigabit capable connection you are not eligible for a voucher.
Your new connection must have a minimum speed of 100 Mbit/s and represent at least a doubling of speed compared to the service you have now.
The Gigabit Voucher Scheme launched 27 March 2018 and is the next step in improving businesses' access to higher quality broadband.
The DCMS will stop issuing vouchers when all available funding has been allocated or by March 2021 – whichever is sooner.
Business vouchers are worth between £500 and £3,000.
If your new connection costs less than £500, you will not be able to claim a voucher.
If the cost of providing a connection is more than £3,000 then you can “top up”. DCMS cannot pay any VAT or monthly charges.
Other conditions apply – see the Gigabit Broadband Voucher Scheme website for full details.
previous post
The Benefits of Telephone Conferencing